Belt connector



Oct. 17, 1939. A. L. FREEDLANDER |-:r AL 2,176,735

BELT CONNECTOR driginal Filed June 12, 1936 3 w w a n E; a n. m w aw m n ri M m M m -M m 9 2 "m2 2 4 2 d m w a W a mm mm a L 7 r n .wv 2 AN HA M m i a M n 7 N a m t a m B Patented Oct. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BELT CONNECTOR Abraham. L. Freedlander and Norman J. Ritzert, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to The Dayton Rubber Manufacturing Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio 11 Claims.

. members interposed between the ends of the belt.

One object of this invention is to provide a belt connector having a pair of spaced bearing members interconnected by link means in such a manner as to permit relative tilting of the ends of the belt at two pivot axes. I

Another object is to provide a belt connector of this type, in which the bearing member is caused to engage a D-shaped bearing bushing, thereby shortening the distance from the fulcrum point to the screw hole of the belt strap, and consequently reducing the leverage on the belt at the screw hole or in back of the belt connector.

Another object is to'provide a belt connector of 'theiabove type, in which the bearing bushing consists of a bearing material impregnated with a lubricant.

Another object is to provide a belt connector consisting of a pair of separated straps with bearing means held between the nose portion of each strap, and with connecting means interconnecting the two bearing portions in such a manner as to permit tilting of the belt ends around two axes spaced apart from one another.

Another object is to provide a belt connector with double pivot axes, and with straps or clamps having interconnected bearing means in the nose ,portions'thereof, the bearing means consisting of a D-shaped bearing bushing within which is a roughly helm-cylindrical bearing member secured at its outer ends to, the connecting means betweenthe two bearing members, this connecting means being, for example, a pair of links.

Another object is to provide a belt connector withbelt clamps spaced apart from one another, and with a bearing bushing in the nose portion of each belt clamp, a bearing member within each bearing bushing, and means for securing the bearing members to a connecting means interconnecting the spaced bearing members.

This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 84,916, filed; June 12, 1936, Patent No. 2,151,095, granted March 21, 1939.

In the drawing:

Figure '1 is a top plan view of the belt connector of this invention shown as interconnecting the ends of a belt;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the belt connector assembly shown in Figure Figure 3 is a central, vertical section along the line 33 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the principal parts of the belt connector shown in Figure 1, laid out separately to show the component parts, one of the connecting links being omitted for clearness of showing.

Referring to the drawing in detail, Figure 1 shows one embodiment of the belt connector of this invention as consisting of a pair of belt clamps or straps I and II, having nose portions I2 and I3 spaced apart from one another. Each nose portion I2 and I3 is slightly flattened, as at I4 and I5, above and below so as to provide a space to receive an approximately D-shaped bearing bushing I6, the upper and lower portions of which engage the flattened parts I4 and I5 to prevent rotation. The bearing bushing I6 is provided with a bore I! of D-shaped cross section, adapted to receive a bearing member I8 of approximately hemi-cylindrical cross section. As the bore I I is somewhat greater than a hemicylinder in cross section, a space I9 is provided between the back face of the bearing member and the back wall of the bore toprovide room for oscillation of the bearing member I8. The opposite ends 20 of the bearing member I8 are formed in a manner convenient to anchor the bearing member. In the drawing, the ends 20 are shown'as squared in order to fit into square apertures 2I in the opposite ends of link members 22.

The belt clamps I0 and I I are preferably made of an aluminum alloy to provide lightness in weight, and the weight may be further reduced by the provision of additional holes 23 in the clamps. The bearing bushing I6 is preferably made of a bearing composition having a lubricant impregnated therein, such as graphite or lubricating oil or grease. Such bearing compositions are known to those skilled in the art. The bearing member I8 is preferably made of a hardened steel, such as drill rod, so as to provide long life and the minimum wear during the use of the belt connector.

In the assembly of the belt connector shown in Figure 1, the D-shaped bearing bushings I6 are inserted in the nose portions I2 and I3 of the belt clamps I 0 and II. The bearing members I8 are passed therethrough and thelinks 22 snapped into position over the squared ends 20 of the bearing members I8. The ends 20 are then upset or flattened so as to enlarge the heads and anchor the links 22 firmly to the bearing members I8.

In attaching the belt connector shown in Figure l the clamps I0 and II are inserted over the ends 24 and 25 of the belt, and the clamping screw 26 inserted through the hole 21 in the top of the belt so as to pass through the belt and engage the threads in the threaded hole 28 in the bottom part of the belt clamp. The free ends of the belt clamps Ill and II may be bent over, as at 29, so as to engage notched portions 38 in the belt. The belt may be of any suitable cross section, for example hexagonal, trapezoidal, etc., and is provided with notches on one side or on both sides, as shown.

In the operation of the belt connector shown in Figure 1 the belt ends 24 and 25 are permitted to flex or tilt relatively to one another in passing over pulleys of different sizes. In so tilting the nose portions i2 and I3 and the bearing members 88 therein move relatively to one another in the spaced bearing bushings It. The links 22 serve to maintain the connection therebetween. As the belt is operated over a short period of time the warmth generated by the friction causes the lubricant to be released from the bearing bushing it and to exude onto the walls of the bore ii, thereby providing lubrication for the bearing member 58. It will be understood, of course, that a plain bearing bushing l6 may be employed instead of the lubricant-impregnated bearing bushing, but such plain bearing-members, of course, require external lubrication by some suitable means.

It will be understood that we desire to comprehend within our invention such modifications as come within the scope of the claims and the invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A belt connector comprising a pair of spaced belt clamps, a bearing bushing of substantially D-shaped cross section and having lubricant impregnated therein associated with each belt clamp, a bearing member of partially circular cross section and of lesser width within each bearing bushing, and connecting means interconnecting said bearing members.

2. A belt connector comprising a pair of spaced belt clamps, a bearing bushing of substantially D-shaped cross section and having lubricant impregnated therein associated with each belt clamp and having a bore of partially circular cross section therethrough, a bearing member smaller than said bore and of partially circular cross section within said bore, and connecting means: interconnecting the end portions of said bearing members.

3. A belt connector comprising a pair of spaced belt clamps, a bearing bushing associated with each belt clamp and having a bore of partially circular cross section therethrough, a bearing member of partially circular cross section within said bore, the cross section of said bearing member being thelesser part of a circle than the cross section of said bore, and connectingmeans interconnecting said bearing members.

4. A belt connector comprising a pair of spaced belt clamps, a bearing bushing of substantially D-shaped cross section associated with each belt clamp, a bearing member within each bearing bushing, said bearing member having end portions of non-circular cross section, and links having apertures of cross section corresponding to within said bearing bushing,

the end portions of said bearing members interconnecting the opposite bearing members.

5. A belt connector comprising a pair of spaced belt clamps, a bearing bushing associated with each belt clamp and having a bore of partially circular and rectangular cross section therethrough, a bearing member of partially circular and rectangular cross section within each bearing bushing, and a connecting member interconnectingsaid bearing members.

6. A belt connector comprising a pair of spaced belt clamps, a bearing bushing associated with each belt clamp and having a bore of substantially D-shaped cross section therethrough, a bearing member of substantially D-shaped cross section within said bore, and a connecting member interconnecting said bearing members, said bore being greater in cross sectional area than said bearing member.

'7. A belt connector comprising a pair of spaced "belt clamps, a bearing bushing associated with each belt clamp and having a bore of partially circular cross section therethrough, a bearing member of partially circular cross section within said bore, and a connecting member interconnecting said bearing members, the cross section of said bearing member being the lesser part of a circle relatively to the cross section of said bore.

8. A belt connector comprising a pair of spaced belt clamps, a bearing bushing of D-shaped cross section associated with each belt clamp, said bearing bushing having a bore of semi-cylindrical shape, a bearing member of partially circular cross section within'each bearing bushing bore, and link means interconnecting said bearing members, said bearing members having extending non-circular ends engaging said link means.

9. A belt connector'comprising a pair of spaced belt clamps, a bearing bushing associated with each belt clamp and having a bore of semi-cylindrical shape, a bearing member of partially circular cross section within each bearing bushing, a connecting member interconnecting said bearing members, said bearing members having end portions of non-circular cross section, said connecting member having apertures of cross sections corresponding thereto receiving said end portions of said bearing members.

10. A belt connector comprising a pair of spaced belt clamps, a bearing bushing associated with each' belt clamp and positioned in the forward portion thereof, said bearing bushing having a bore of D-shaped cross section therethrough, a bearing member of corresponding cross section but of lesser width within said bearing bushing, and connecting means interconnecting said bearing members.

11. A belt connector comprising a pair of spaced belt clamps, a bearing bushing associated with each belt clamp and positioned within the nose portion thereof, said bearing bushing having a bore of D-shaped cross section therethrough, a bearing member of corresponding cross section and connecting means interconnecting said bearing members, said bearing member having a lesser width than said bearing bushing bore but with a correspondingly curved outer surface engaging said bore.

ABRAHAM L. FREEDLANDER. NORMAN J. RITZERT. 

